Taken
by Awahili
Summary: When Anna Murphy is kidnapped from her bed, Murphy seeks help from Dresden to find her. But when Harry discovers traces of supernatural energy in Anna's room, he realizes it's more than just a simple abduction. He also realizes it might be time to clue Murphy in to the world he'd been protecting her from for so long.
1. Chapter 1

So this the next story in my series that began with "Sick Day," though you don't necessarily have to have read that one to get this one. If there is interest, there will be more in this series, some light-hearted, some not so much. I've already got a few more ideas (the next two are a little more shippy than the first two), so let me know if that's something you'd like to read.

This is a 3-parter. I had it all in one document, but it was almost 14,000 words so I decided to split it up. Enjoy.

* * *

I jerked awake with my heart doing a drum roll in my chest as I tried to catch my breath. I laid completely still, wondering what had woken me, but all I heard was the rush of the rain pouring down outside. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and I almost chalked it up to the late April storm when someone pounded sharply on my door. Almost at the same moment, Bob appeared at the top of the stairs with a worried look on his face.

"Harry you need to get up," he said sharply. "Lieutenant Murphy is here and she looks...distressed." I rubbed my face quickly to wake up as I stood, searching around for my discarded jeans. I pulled them on and looked down at my holey, gray sleeping shirt. I didn't have another one handy, so it would have to do. I descended the stairs two at a time and peered through the window panes. The street lamps outside threw everything into a muted yellow glow, but I could see Murphy's smaller frame huddled against the door, trying to keep out of the rain. I unlocked the door and pulled it open, not offering her an invitation. She never commented on the oddity, but I'd learned my lesson on that score. Now, however, she barely waited for the door to be open before she threw herself inside.

And into my arms.

I stood there in shock for a moment as she shivered against me, and my arms came around her automatically after I pushed the door closed. My shirt and jeans were being soaked by her own, but that didn't really register with me right away. My mouth moved a couple of times, but nothing came out. She was clinging to me with a desperation I'd never witness from her before, and I realized with a start that her shivering had morphed into sobs.

"Shh," I kept my right arm tight around her, and my left hand moved to cradle her head against my chest as she cried. I bowed my head, murmuring what I hoped were words of comfort against her rain-soaked hair. I had no idea what was going on, but if it had shaken her this much it wasn't good. My heart lurched as a few possibilities entered my mind, and when her shaking intensified I tightened my hold even more.

"It's alright," I told her quietly. "Whatever it is, Murph, it'll be okay. Tell me what happened." Eventually she calmed down enough to pull away, and I instantly saw the embarrassment in her eyes. "Hey, none of that." I settled my hands on her shoulders and bent my knees enough to look her in the eye. "What happened?"

She glanced around, unwilling to meet my eyes for a moment, and when she did look at me I was floored by the pain in her eyes. "Anna," she whispered. "She's...she's gone." Okay, gone was only slightly better than dead, but I was wise enough to keep that to myself. I didn't have kids of my own, but I knew that this was possibly one the worst things a parent could experience.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"I mean I put her to bed like always, and when I checked on her before I went to sleep she was gone."

"I'm assuming you've already called the police?" I knew she had, and that they were probably doing everything humanly possible, but I also knew that the police had to follow procedures.

"Yeah, they just left my place. They've already issued the Amber Alert, and gotten everything they could from the house. I called Derek, and he's getting a flight back from Las Vegas tonight." I'd never met Anna's dad, but I knew he and Murphy were on semi-decent terms. "I just...didn't know what else to do." She shivered again, and I suddenly remembered she was standing in my foyer wearing clothes that were only slightly drier than the Pacific Ocean. I slipped my arm back around her shoulders and pulled her against me.

"Come on." I directed her up the stairs and into what was effectively my bedroom. There was a small bathroom that barely qualified, but it had a stand-alone shower and a toilet, so it served its purpose. I dug through my drawers and grabbed an old pair of sweats that would probably drown her and a soft t-shirt. I offered them to her silently, and she smiled her thanks. It was flat, but it was better than the lost, empty expression she'd been sporting.

"There's a clean towel in the cabinet under the sink," I told her. "Take a hot shower. I'll make us some coffee." She nodded and slipped into the bathroom, but not before turning her head to give me one more smile.

"Thanks, Harry." Once she was safely behind the locked door, I dashed back downstairs and whispered for Bob. He shifted through the wall from my lab and gave me a solemn look.

"I guess you heard?"

He nodded once. "I take it you'll be preparing a tracking spell?"

"Damn right, I will," I hissed back. "The trick will be doing this without involving Murphy." Bob sighed despite not actually having lungs and I steeled myself for his lecture.

"Lieutenant Murphy has demonstrated on multiple occasions her competence and willingness to acquiesce to your 'expertise.' I think you should consider cluing her in."

"It's too dangerous," I replied easily; we'd had this conversation a few times.

"It would make your relationship easier," he countered.

"We don't have a 'relationship'," I replied hotly – and probably a tad too quickly.

"I was, in fact, referring to your working partnership, but by all means jump on the defensive. It only makes my argument all the more relevant."

I cut him off before he could delve into uncomfortable territory, and I busied myself with making coffee as I spoke. "That's enough, Bob. We need to be focusing on finding Anna right now. I need as many different ways to track a person down as you can find."

He gave me an even look before vanishing in a puff. I waited for the water to boil, my mind going over every possibility. Due to Murphy's job, I knew Anna stayed with her father most of the year, but he lived close enough that Anna went to a local school. Anna visited her mom often, and I hadn't heard of any bad blood between Murphy and her ex. I had no idea what he did for a living (Murphy and I didn't really talk about our personal lives very much), but I knew Murphy had probably earned more than her fair share of enemies as a homicide detective in Chicago. I guessed the cops probably had that angle covered, but I wanted to look around her house just in case they missed something.

I heard the shower shut off just as the water on the stove started boiling, and by the time Murphy came downstairs I had two mugs of coffee ready. I handed one to her wordlessly and she walked toward the living area. She sank down onto the couch and I followed, angling my body to face her as she sipped the hot beverage. She grimaced at the taste – she always remarked about my instant coffee – but didn't say anything.

There was really no delicate way to broach the subject, so I decided to approach it professionally. "I might be able to track her down, but I'm going to need something of Anna's," I told her. "Hair would be best, but anything she touched or interacted with a lot would work just as well." I wasn't sure she heard me, but finally she nodded.

"Okay. Can we go now?"

"We?" I had planned on using the time it would take her to get what I needed to pow wow with Bob, but going with her would allow me to get a look around.

She took a shaky breath as she stared into her instant coffee. "I just...I really don't want to be alone right now."

I set my mug down on the table and pried hers from her grasp before scooting closer. My arm slipped around her shoulders and she didn't resist as I pulled her against me. "We'll find her, Murph. I'll do whatever I can to help."

She nodded against my chest but didn't pull away just yet. "I've got some money tucked away in savings."

"No," I told her firmly, pushing her away from me so I could look in her eyes. "We're friends, Murph. Hell, you're probably the best friend I've ever had. This is what friends do; they help each other. I am going to do everything possible and then some to help you find Anna, and you will absolutely not pay me. Understood?" She stared at me for a moment longer before I saw tears forming in her eyes again. I hugged her once more before shifting my weight to stand. She followed, and I squeezed her arm quickly. "Let me get some stuff together then we can go, okay?" I left her standing by the couch as I retreated to my lab. Bob was waiting patiently inside, but I didn't speak to him until I'd secured the door behind me. "What have you got?"

"Well, there's your standard tracking spell," he intoned, gesturing toward my focusing crystal. I grabbed it and tossed it into my backpack before grabbing a few more things. I tucked my drum stick into my pants pocket as he continued. "There is the _invenio per sanguis."_

_"_Yeah, well, let's assume for now that Murphy doesn't keep a vial of Anna's blood on hand."

"Let us also remember that Lieutenant Murphy and her child share a direct bloodline connection. You might be able to find her child using her blood. Your regular tracking spell may not work if the person who took her is a practitioner."

I paused in my packing for a moment to concede his point. I hadn't really thought about that; Anna's disappearance might have nothing to do with Murphy and everything to do with me. "Alright, what will I need?" I packed my bag with a few more things for various spells before grabbing my hockey stick. I didn't think I'd need it, but I'd gotten a little paranoid lately and I'd rather have it than not. I closed the lab door firmly behind me and met Murphy at the door. It was still pouring outside, and I gave her my jacket from the coat rack before opening the door.

It was a mad dash for her car, but we managed to avoid getting completely soaked. My hockey stick stretched diagonally across the backseat into my lap, but I didn't care. It was a testament to Murphy's distress that she didn't even comment on its presence, and I thought she might have pushed a few driving laws to their limits as she sped toward her home. We pulled into her driveway in record time, and I realized for the first time that I'd never actually seen her house.

It was a small, one-story home tucked snugly within a mismatched neighborhood. It was old but not rundown, and I knew immediately that this home had been in the family for a while. The lawn was small and neat, and I wondered briefly if she cut her own grass or if she hired someone out to do it. Murphy never really struck me has the handy-around-the-home type, but I'd been surprised by her before. The porch stretched along the front of the house, and she ascended the two-step stairs to the door before me. She unlocked the door with shaking fingers, and I reminded myself that I couldn't imagine what she was feeling now. Anna was supposed to be sleeping peacefully in her bedroom, but instead we were walking into an empty house.

It was dark, and I stood still on the porch until Murphy flipped the switch on the wall next to her. The living room stretched out in front of me, with a picture window on the wall next to the door. To my left was a small hallway that I assumed led to a couple smaller bedrooms, and the master bedroom's door stood on the opposite wall. Straight ahead was an archway that led into a kitchen and breakfast nook, then out to the laundry room and the backyard. It wasn't a large house, but it was a home. She turned toward me expectantly, and I cleared my throat with just a little embarrassment.

"Um...this is going to sound weird, but I need you to invite me in." She glared at me then, and I saw a little bit of the old Murphy sneaking through.

"What, like a vampire?"

"Uh, sort of?" I scratched the back of my neck with my free hand. "It's the same kind of thing, but I can technically cross the threshold without your invitation. I'll just be...de-powered." I grimaced at my own words, but Murphy just sighed and shook her head.

"Come in, then." I took a breath and stepped onto the carpet, shivering at the immense power that washed over me. This home was old, and it held a lot of memories and a lot of love.

"How long has your family owned this house?" I asked her.

"How did you -?" She looked at me curiously for a moment before shrugging it off as another Dresden oddity. "My great grandparents bought it during the Depression. It's been in my family ever since." I nodded and turned once, surveying the layout.

"It's nice. Very homey."

"What do you need?" The urgency in her voice snapped me back into "investigation" mode, and I looked toward the hallway.

"Is Anna's room there?" She nodded but didn't move to follow me as I walked toward it. I knew immediately which one was Anna's, and as I pushed the pale pink door open I felt it.

This hadn't been a kidnapping; not a mundane one, anyway. I paused in the doorway, unsure how to even start explaining this to Murphy. First, I needed to see if I could locate Anna with a tracking spell. I managed to find some hairs on her pillow, and I tucked them carefully into a Ziploc bag before looking around a bit more. There wasn't a hint of a struggle and the window was still shut and locked. The house was small enough that Murphy would have heard if Anna had shouted, which led me to believe that whoever had taken her had found a way to keep her quiet the entire time. For now, and until I found evidence to the contrary, I was going to assume they'd drugged her.

"Anything?" Murphy's voice from the doorway broke through my thoughts, and I turned around.

"Maybe," I told her truthfully. If this was something from my side of the street, then I was pretty sure it was my fault. Whatever had done this was doing it to send me a message, and I suddenly felt very, very angry. It must have shown in my eyes, because Murphy took a step back and frowned at me.

"Harry, what is it?"

"I'm not sure," I told her. "Can you give me a minute?" I gestured toward the door and she hesitated. I wasn't ready to tell her everything, not yet, but I had a sinking suspicion that before this was all over Murphy was going to know a lot more about my world than she wanted to. Finally she grabbed the doorknob and closed the door, leaving me surrounded by images of boy bands and puppies. I closed my eyes and focused my will onto what I wanted to accomplish, and with a murmured word I felt the room flood with energy.

I nearly staggered under its power, and I let out a muffled curse. Whatever had taken Anna was strong, and I could only think of a few things that would leave this kind of magical residue. None of them were good. I dismissed the detection spell easily and pulled out my focus crystal. I stood there in the center of Anna's room, letting the crystal absorb as much of her essence as it could as I thought about the possibilities. The Council was powerful enough to do this, but I doubted they had any vested interest in a ten year old girl – even if she was indirectly connected to me. Bianca's people were also the right power level, but I'd just sort of explained to Murphy why that wasn't possible. They couldn't have gotten in without an invitation, and they certainly couldn't have gotten back out again without leaving the window unlocked. Demons were another possibility, but subtlety wasn't really high on their priority list; Murphy would have heard something.

That left one real solution, and I took several steadying breaths. Going up against anything from the Realm wouldn't be pleasant or easy, but that didn't really matter. I had told Murphy I'd do whatever was necessary to get Anna back, and I intended to keep that promise.

After several silent minutes I opened the door, walking silently over to the old leather couch. Murphy was slumped over uncomfortably, and I watched her for a few moments before determining she was completely out. I slipped my arms underneath her small frame, but when I tried to lift her she woke.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh..." I looked down at her and halted halfway to standing. "I was going to carry you to bed." Okay, that sounded way less creepy in my head, but Murphy was too tired to do more than give me a half-hearted glare.

"Dinner first, Dresden," she shot back after a yawn, and I took that as a warning to let her go. She repositioned herself more comfortably on the couch and looked up at me. "You find anything?" She knew I had, she'd known me too long. It was probably written all over my face. The problem was I knew just enough to frustrate her, and I wasn't going to add to her stress until I had an answer that would satisfy her.

"Give me an hour," I told her. "Get some rest, Murph. I'll be in the kitchen." Her eyes seemed to drift closed on their own, and despite the worry evident in her features she succumbed to sleep. I relocated to the kitchen, clearing the table from the cold remains of their dinner. I guessed cleaning dishes had been shoved rather low on Murphy's priority list, but I marveled in the simple domesticity of it anyway. I set the dishes in the sink and wiped off the table before pulling things out of my backpack.

I carefully unfolded a simple white cloth and laid it out in the center of the table. I set the crystal on it carefully then turned to the stove. I had an old pot that I used for tracking spells, and thankfully it was small enough to fit inside the backpack. I pulled it out along with a vial of the concoction I kept on hand for just such an occasion. It was better to recreate the entire spell from scratch in each case, but sometimes - like now, for instance – I didn't have the time.

I poured the viscous fluid into the pot and stirred it with a wooden spoon as I turned on the stovetop. It didn't take long to bring the thing to a boil, and I closed my eyes as I settled my hands above the rising steam. I was far enough away that it didn't sting, but I could feel the heat. I concentrated on the memory of Anna's face in my mind; the fact that I knew the girl was going to help a lot. About six months ago I'd had to take care of the girl while she was sick and Murphy was unavailable. It had only been for a day, but it was long enough for me to get to know her – and Murphy – a little better.

I pushed some of my will through my hands into the mixture, and when I opened my eyes the soft glow of power was fading away. I pulled the Ziploc bag from my pocket and slowly dropped the strands of dark hair into the potion. I waited a few seconds before retrieving the crystal from the table and dangling it above the potion. Mindful of the darkening color of the concoction, I lowered the crystal into the pot briefly before suspending the entire thing above it. I held it there for several minutes, letting the crystal soak up the power of the spell.

Each tracking spell was different, but I supposed being in Anna's home helped a great deal. The entire spell took less than fifteen minutes to complete, and as I began to extract my will from the immediate area I could still feel the hum of power from the crystal. I set it back on the white cloth and cleaned up, making sure to leave no residue or remnants anywhere. Once that was finished, I grasped the leather cord around the crystal, held it up in front of me, and closed my eyes.

At first, nothing happened. But as I began to concentrate on Anna the crystal began to sway in my hand. It settled on an angle somewhere behind me and to my left, and I rotated around until I was more or less facing the living room. Anna was somewhere ahead of me, but how far I couldn't say. All I could do was follow it and hope for the best. I stowed the crystal in my pocket and stepped into the room quietly, but I needn't have bothered. Murphy wasn't on the couch anymore. I heard a sniffle from my right and turned, spotting her small silhouette in the hallway outside Anna's room. She wasn't crying, not like she had been before, but I was pretty sure there were tears on her face. Her arms were crossed over her stomach as she leaned against the door frame, looking absently into the empty room. I stepped up behind her and laid my hands on her shoulders, and she surprised me again by leaning back against me. I kept my hands where they were and I settled my chin on top of her head as she collected herself.

"You need to get some rest," I told her. She took a sharp breath as if to argue, but I hurried. "But I know you won't. Not until she's right there." I stared at the bed with her for a moment before I squeezed her arm. "I might have something, but I need you talk to you first." She whirled around with a fire in her eyes.

"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" she spat, but I didn't take it personally.

"I just did," I replied patiently. "But I can't do anything until we have a talk." I turned and walked back to her couch, knowing she would be right behind me. She settled down on the cushions, and I took a deep breath. I'd already sort of done this once before, and I took my cue from that moment several months ago. I stretched out my right arm toward the corner where I'd stowed my hockey stick. A second later it slapped into my hand, and Murphy stared at me.

"How did you do that?" I almost laughed at her familiar words, but I managed to hold it back. I looked at her squarely for a moment before sitting on the coffee table to face her. I laid the stick on the floor at my feet and tried to think of the best way to explain this.

"Okay, so I've got a lot of explaining to do, and I'd appreciate it if you'd wait until the very end to kick my ass." I offered her a flat smile but she didn't return it, and I let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, so from the beginning I guess. You know all that stuff that isn't real that I do to help you out with cases?" She nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. "Well it is real. And I know you''ll have a hard time processing most of this, but I'm giving you my oath, on my power, that everything I'm about to tell you is the truth." I knew she didn't feel the thrum of power that coursed through me from the vow, but I did. I couldn't lie to her now.

"Harry?"

I flexed my fingers a few times and held my right hand palm up between us. I focused my will into the center of my hand, letting the energy gather there for a moment. The white light illuminated us and everything around us, and I could see the confusion and awe on her face easily. I let the light dissipate completely before I took a deep breath and told her everything. I explained about how magic was passed from parent to child, the role of the Council, and even the Laws of Magic. She sat quietly through the entire thing, though I couldn't tell if it was because of our agreement or sheer shock.

When I had finished, the look of awe was gone from her face but the confusion remained. Several silent seconds stretched out between us, but I didn't try to fill it. She was coming to terms with something that was rocking her beliefs, and it took time. Finally she took a deep breath and looked up at me.

"Last March. Edward Miller." Her voice was hard, and I closed my eyes.

"Wow, you really don't want to ease into this, do you?" I opened my eyes, hoping that her harsh glare had lessened, but it hadn't. I had sworn to tell the truth, and I couldn't stop now. "There was more going on than you knew," I admitted. "Boone had found a way to...well, to jump bodies using an old Egyptian tablet. The catch was, his current body had to die. So Boone dies, jumps into Miller. When we confronted him he...switched again."

"Into me." It wasn't a question, and I had to look away to avoid the pain in her eyes. I knew that whole ordeal had brought a world of trouble for her, including psyche evals and hellish nightmares. Our whole friendship had almost come to an end as the stress piled up on her, but we'd managed to pull through. I wondered if we'd get that lucky again.

"I had to reassemble the tablet and get you..._him_, to touch it. Once that happened, it all reversed itself and his soul was ripped out of your body. Luckily, your own mind was just being suppressed, not entirely overwritten." I glanced back over, hoping she wasn't too mad. But the anger I'd expected to see in her eyes wasn't there. She was sad.

"I get flashes sometimes, of things I don't remember but they feel so real. I was the antique shop at night, and you were there. I attacked you." My leg twinged at the memory of the knife that had been plunged into it, but I shook my head.

"_No_, that was Boone," I told her firmly. "He just hijacked your body to do it. It wasn't you." She was quiet for a moment as she processed my words, and she seemed to accept them. After another empty beat, her eyes locked onto mine.

"My father?"

"Ah, well..." I scratched the back of my head. "That one was trickier. I didn't know if it would actually work. The brand was actually the focus for a magical ritual designed to steal people's second chances. They died like they would have if they hadn't been spared, and Munzer got another life. I just figured I could give your father his second chance back before Munzer could use the brand on himself."

"So he really was dead." Her voice was shaking and she looked a little pale, and I wondered if she was going to faint on me. As serious as this situation was, I'm not sure I could ever let her live it down if she did. Finally she just reached her hand out and gripped mine fiercely. "I guess thank you didn't quite cover it," she said, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I'd laid it all bare and she didn't hate me. The trick now was making sure she stayed safe.

"Listen, there are people – namely, the Council – who frown upon civilians knowing about this stuff. If they find out you're clued in, they might take steps."

"Like what?" she asked, sounding wholly unimpressed. Only Murphy would be just slightly annoyed by the people who generally scared the crap out of me. "What can they do?"

"Um, erase your existence?" I offered. "I'm fairly certain it won't come to that," I continued quickly. "Just be sure not to run around shouting about magic and stuff to random passersby."

Murphy rolled her eyes and settled back against the cushions. "So no book deals? Darn, I was hoping to make a small fortune."

"Trust me, my life is nowhere near interesting enough to write a book about." It was easy enough to fall into the familiar banter, and I felt myself relaxing. She knew and she didn't hate me. Now all I had to do was find Anna. I dug the crystal out of my pocket and let it dangle in front of me. I concentrated on Anna for a moment, and the crystal swayed toward the front of the house.

"Anna?" Murphy was leaning forward now, all business, and I smiled.

"I think so. Tracking spells are one of my specialties, but it helps that I know her already. I can feel the spell pulling me that way, even without the crystal. It helps, though, to focus the energy." We both stood and I summoned my hockey stick to my hand as we made our way to the front door. "I'm not sure what this is, but I...felt something when I went into her room. I don't think this was a normal kidnapping."

"Magic?"

"Yes," I answered. "But not the kind I'm familiar with. I'm not entirely certain what we're going to find."

She stared at me for a moment before disappearing into her room. Moments later she came back out in dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and a leather jacket that I knew was hiding her shoulder holster. The legs of her jeans were settled easily over her boots, and I knew she probably had a gun strapped to her ankle as well. She pulled her hair back into a tail and grabbed her keys as she tossed me my own jacket.

"Let's go." I stared at her for a solid ten seconds before her glare kick started my brain. I followed her out the car, attaching the crystal to her rearview. I could feel the gentle tug of the spell in my own head, but her eyes kept darting to the crystal every few minutes as we navigated the streets of Chicago. The sun was just beginning to rise, and traffic was gradually thickening to the standard morning rush hour madness. Thankfully we were steadily making our way out of the city, north by northeast, toward Lake Michigan. As we drove, I spoke about the other parts of my life, the creatures that inhabited our world that civilians had no idea about.

"Vampires?" she asked incredulously. "Harry, I'm still trying to come to terms with wizards. You're gonna throw vampires at me?"

"Okay, yeah," I laughed, "you can handle a guy who can bend the elements to his will. But toss in what is culturally considered an urban paranormal standard and suddenly it's too much?" She slapped my shoulder with her right hand, her eyes never leaving the road.

"You think it could have been a vampire?" She sounded worried now, and I shook my head.

"No, a vampire has to be invited in. I can cross a threshold without an invitation, but my powers are effectively nullified. A vampire absolutely cannot enter without one."

"But if Anna invited one in..."

"Even if she did, they don't have the magic it would take to close and lock the window behind them. Besides, you probably would have heard something." I took a breath and looked out my window. The pinkish orange of dawn was slowly brightening to day, and the four lane road to the lake was thinning out. The crystal began to sway gently to the left, and eventually Murphy found a road she could turn on. We were now pointed directly at the lake, and I felt my heart clench. If Anna was dead, the spell wouldn't be working. I kept telling myself that, and even mentioned it aloud once or twice as the lake drew nearer. As the road curved around, we had taken a few turns to get back on track. Finally the gravel road we'd wound up on ended, and Murphy parked the car as I untied the crystal and grabbed my hockey stick. I grabbed Murphy's hand and pressed the crystal into her palm.

"Concentrate on Anna, her face, her voice, her smell. Anything about her. Go on." She looked at the crystal hesitantly but did as I asked as I readied my staff. I knew wizards who had actual staves carved from trees and covered in runes. Justin hadn't been too keen on teaching me about that side of magic, and I'd taken a crash course in staff magic from Bob when I'd had to go up against a nasty creature from the Realm. I didn't encounter them often (thankfully), but I'd needed the extra power the staff afforded me and I didn't have time to find a tree in the middle of Chicago and carve one out. So I'd had to make do with what I had; thankfully I had an old hockey stick from my college days. It worked well enough, and I'd never even thought about replacing it.

I held it out in front of me as we walked through the trees, Murphy slightly in front of me as she led the way. We walked for a while in silence, and I kept my gaze darting around to be sure we weren't being followed or surrounded. Suddenly the crystal swayed back toward Murphy's body and she stopped, looking up at me. We turned around and began backtracking, but we only made it a few steps before it did it again. We turned once more, walking slowly until the crystal was hanging perpendicular to the ground. I could feel the pull of the spell within me directing me the same way, and I reached out to grab the crystal from her.

"What the hell?" she looked at me, and I took a deep breath.

"Alright, look. You know how there are magnetic ley lines that run through the earth?" She nodded. "Well there are lines of magic, too, that run pretty close to them. A really powerful wizard could theoretically call upon that power to add to his own."

"Could you do it?"

"Hell, no," I shook my head. "Not even I'm stupid enough to try and control that much power. But there are things that can. They use those lines to connect our worlds together, to build a bridge between here and their Realm." I looked around and realized what had to happen. Murphy wasn't going to like it.

"Okay, I need you to listen to me," I looked up at her and froze. Standing in the trees not ten feet behind her was an old man in tattered robes. I'd never seen him before, but I'd heard of him. Murphy noticed my hesitation and made to turn around and look, but I stopped her with a sharp shake of my head. I was careful not to actually look at the creature, but I kept him in my peripheral as I maneuvered Murphy around so she could do the same. "Don't look directly at him. He'll vanish if he thinks we see him. He has to initiate contact." I set my hockey stick on the ground and drew a symbol in the dirt right above the ley line. Opening a Way without an invitation was tantamount to declaring war for anyone with ill intentions. I would probably be okay because of my connections to the Council, but there was no way I was letting Murphy go down there with me.

"Okay, I'm going to put up a protection circle for you. Do not, under any circumstances, cross outside of it until I tell you." I turned my back on the Old Man of the Forest and drew a circle large enough for a person to stand in.

"What's going on, Harry?"

"I have to go get Anna. You can't go with me."

"Like hell I can't!" she yelled, and I winced. I could still see the shadowy figure in the corner of my eye, though he did appear to be closer. Murphy didn't seem to notice or care. "She's my daughter, Dresden. I'm going with you."

For most of the time I'd known Murphy, I'd been happy to play along with her beliefs that I was just a harmless, incredibly lucky guy who was really good at what he did. I was purposefully goofy or clumsy in times where it was necessary that she didn't know better. To my knowledge, she had never actually seen my more serious, darker side; the part of me I'd made an effort to hide away. Growing up with Justin Morningway had afforded me an attitude I'd had to work to control, and I knew the Council still kept close tabs on me. But there was no time to play the fool now. I gathered my will around me and looked up at Murphy, unsurprised when she took a hesitant step back.

"There's no time to argue, Murphy. Where they've taken her, you just can't go. There are things that will sooner kill you than look at you, and I don't know if I can find Anna and protect you at the same time."

"Wizard Dresden," an old, creaky voice called my name and I started to turn, but not before whispering a quick warning to Murphy.

"Don't look at him unless he addresses you by name." She nodded once and kept her eyes glued on me as I turned to face the Old Man of the Forest.

I'd heard of him in several stories from several different cultures, but most of them agreed on his appearance. An old, weathered man in tattered robes, hunched over a walking stick made of ebony. He wandered through forests in search of lost travelers. If he deemed them worthy, he would help them find their way home. If not, they would remain lost forever.

"Good morning," I greeted with a half-nod, not daring to use any of the names I knew him by. Creatures of the Realm tended to get a little testy when someone started throwing names around.

He peered at me with storm gray eyes, his expression completely blank. "You are searching for a lost soul." I heard Murphy's sharp intake of breath, but thankfully she stayed otherwise silent. "I have met many wizards in my time. None of them were taken to charity." I heard the question he didn't ask, and I drew myself up as I answered truthfully.

"It's not charity," I told him. "The child they took is under my protection, and I will reclaim what's mine." Murphy shifted in the corner of my eye, but said nothing. I knew my words probably meant nothing to her, but they meant a great deal to one of the Realm.

"Even if it costs you your power?" the Old Man asked. "Your life?"

"Even so," I told him firmly. He'd already asked me a question, so I felt relatively safe in doing so. Some of them could be finicky when it came to information exchange, but he didn't seem to be one of them. "Do you know what took her?"

"Creatures of shadow and cold, Wizard Dresden. They like to capture wizards and break them. They are luring you into a trap."

The thought had crossed my mind once I'd realized what we were dealing with. Most of the Realm didn't particularly care for wizards, and some of them would go out of their way to make sure I didn't return from this trip. That just meant I would have to be doubly careful.

"I am grateful for your assistance," I told him, avoiding thanking him outright. I merely glanced over my shoulder and took a shuddering breath, trying to keep a calm expression on my face.

"Constanza Murphy," the Old Man greeted my companion. "Your child has been taken to a place you cannot follow, yet you desire to anyway. Do you not trust Wizard Dresden to complete his task?"

Murphy stepped up beside me and finally looked at the man who wasn't really a man. "I trust Harry with my life. But she's my daughter. I can't sit back and do nothing. I will do whatever is necessary to save her."

"What if sitting back and doing nothing is what is necessary?" The question was not malicious, but Murphy was a little high strung right now. If she took offense, things could get ugly. I decided to intervene before Murphy could reply.

"You have helped us in our time of need. Should you have need of me, I am yours for one task." It was a risky move, but I didn't sense any of the malice normally associated with those of the Realm. The Old Man of the Forest merely looked at me with an amused expression.

"I have perhaps not offered enough assistance to warrant such a reward," he answered. He covered the distance between us in the blink of an eye, and I fought my natural reaction to take a step back. Thankfully Murphy did as well. He closed his eyes and reached out his hands, laying them on Murphy's head. Several silent moments passed before he opened his eyes, and the stormy gray had morphed into a brilliant blue. I felt the weight of some power settle over the area like a blanket, and when I took a breath I smelled fresh pine and damp moss.

"What was that?" Murphy asked.

"My blessing," the Old Man answered. "None of my Realm will harm you until the next dawn. Go now," he gestured toward the spot where I had drawn a circle and the air shimmered. "Retrieve what is yours, Wizard Dresden. You shall see me again." I didn't bother with goodbyes or more thank yous. I just collected my hockey stick, grabbed Murphy's hand, and walked toward the Way.

"Brace yourself," I told her, and we stepped through the portal into the Realm of the Fae.

* * *

AN: I couldn't remember if they actually referred to the Nevernever in the show. I don't think they did, but if I'm wrong please tell me.

Part 2 should be up soon, but here's teaser:

* * *

_"Are you offering yourself in place of the child, Wizard?" it asked. The gathered pack – family? herd? gaggle? I wasn't entirely sure what to call a collection of Fae – waited eagerly as I took a deep breath. Before I could answer, though, Murphy did something stupid._

_ "I'll take her place. Take me."_

_ "Murphy, no!" I tried to hold her back, but she managed to evade my desperate grab and stepped between me and the creatures._


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much to those who took the time to review! It's nice to know there are people out there reading. This is for you!

* * *

I'd only been to the Realm once before, and passing through the Way was as every bit disturbing as I remembered. Imagine trying to step through a sheet of mostly frozen Jell-O with the added benefit of being entirely unsure of being able to support your own weight. We wobbled through, shivering against the sharp sensations that washed over us. Once we were on the other side I paused, letting Murphy collect herself. I took the time to look around, unsurprised to see a darkened forest surrounding us. It was cold - colder than the coldest winter I'd ever experienced - and I had to work to take a deep breath without pain. Snow crunched under my feet as I shifted my weight, and my fingers tightened around the shaft of the hockey stick in my left hand. Murphy's smaller hand was still in my right, and I felt her squeeze my fingers as she finally managed to pull herself together. I turned to look at her and let go of her hand.

"Alright, stay close. That blessing will keep anything from hurting you, but that doesn't mean you can't be stuck here for all eternity."

"Cheery thought," she answered, but I noticed she took a small step toward me.

"Yeah, well, everything that lives here is all about technicalities. Don't eat or drink anything they offer you, and do not thank any of them outright. You do not want to owe them something." I looked around, searching for anything that would serve as a clue.

"Like you do with whatever that thing was back there?" Murphy asked, and I sighed.

"That's different," I told her, but the look she gave me said she didn't buy it. "Look, we can psychoanalyze the ramifications of my poor choices later. Right now, we need to figure out which way to go."

"The crystal won't work here?" She held up the small item futilely, and I shook my head. I pulled the string from her fingers and let it dangle from my fist.

"Passing through the Way washed it clean. Besides, a basic tracking spell would be overwhelmed here. We're going to need something more powerful." Suddenly I was grateful Bob had mentioned the _invenio per sanguis; _it was probably our best bet now. I cleared the area around us of snow and dug a small circle in the frozen ground beneath using the small end of my hockey stick. I looked up at Murphy and gave her an even look. "I'm going to need some of your blood."

She looked at me strangely, and I suddenly never wanted to see that look on her face again. I realized what she was probably thinking; anyone who only knew a little about magic often felt uneasy whenever blood was involved. They assumed some sort of dark ritual or evil spell, and I didn't really blame them. Some of the most dangerous spells required some sort of blood. I took a step toward her and tried to sound as reassuring as possible.

"You and your daughter share a blood connection," I explained. "Using your blood will allow me to zero in on her location wherever she is."

She relaxed a little and nodded. "Why didn't you use that spell first?" Her voice wasn't accusatory, merely curious, and I let out a breath. I watched as she pulled a small multi-tool out of her pocket and wiped it off.

"Hang on," I took it from her and held it in one palm, the other hovering over it. I concentrated on cleansing the blade, and when the faint blue glow died away she was staring at me again. "Here you go," I handed it back to her and to her credit her fingers only shook for a second as she grabbed it. "To answer your question," I continued to fill the somewhat awkward silence that had engulfed us, "the crystal was more than enough for locating her in our world. Once she crossed over, the trail was broken." I leaned my hockey stick up against a nearby tree and stepped into the circle.

"Like the spell?" Murphy rolled up her sleeve and cut into the flesh of her arm just below her elbow. I looked away sharply. She gave me a look of exasperation as I winced. "Seriously?"

"What?" I replied defensively. "Blood bothers me." It was really more the fact that she'd cut into her own arm without so much as flinching, though I supposed it was cold enough here that the pain was somewhat dulled. I cleansed the crystal like I had the knife and very carefully coated the tip of it in Murphy's blood. It wasn't a large cut, maybe half an inch across and just past the dermal layer, but it was enough blood to cover the whole end of the crystal. Murphy wiped the extra blood away and pulled her sleeve back down before packing some snow on top of her arm to staunch the floor. I stepped into the circle and closed it with a little effort, shoving all doubts and fears into a tiny box in the back of my mind. I held the crystal out in front of me and closed my eyes, speaking the incantation clearly.

Everything around me sort of faded away as my will focused on connecting Anna to the crystal. I felt a pull somewhere off to my left and I latched onto it, sealing the connection with another repetition of the words. When my ears stopped ringing and everything came back into focus, I took a deep breath. I scuffed the dirt circle, and the energy dissipated with a pop. I handed the crystal back to a stunned Murphy as I gathered up my hockey stick again.

"What?" I asked her, though I knew what the looks were about. Yesterday, I was just her odd friend, Harry, who called himself a wizard and had a knack for getting into trouble. Now I was Harry Dresden, Wizard with a capital "w", who was very literally bending the world to his will to get her daughter back. Her mind was simply having trouble adjusting, and I was just going to have to deal with the strange looks until her brain processed everything.

She seemed almost embarrassed at her own behavior, and she shot me an apologetic look before holding the crystal up. It swayed toward Murphy for a moment, but I pushed my will into it, directing it away from her. Immediately it swung out, and I gestured with my hockey stick toward the left.

"Looks like that way." I had to shorten my steps as she walked beside me, but I didn't mind. It let me scan the area more thoroughly just in case something decided we looked helpless and attacked. Nothing jumped out at us, but I kept glancing around anyway. Finally my eye caught something, and I stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. There was a faint orange glow through the trees – the kind that screamed trap to my wizardly senses. It was still a long way away, and we started toward it wordlessly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Murphy looking around curiously before it got the better of her.

"So where are we?" she whispered, and I glanced over my shoulder.

"Uh, not entirely sure. The Realm isn't exactly predictable on the best of days. Wherever we are, though, it's controlled by the Unseelie Court."

"The what?"

"Okay, quick version," I stopped and turned around. "The Realm is divided into two sections. Each denizen belongs to one of the two Courts, the Seelie or the Unseelie."

"What's the difference?"

"Everything," I answered. "They're pretty much opposite in every way. Unseelie Court members are generally pretty nasty, malicious, and just as cold as their environment. That doesn't mean the Seelie are nice and helpful, but I'd rather deal with them than their cousins."

"Like him?" she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder back toward the way we'd come, obviously indicating the Old Man of the Forest, and I nodded.

"Yeah, like him. He's just as crafty and dangerous as any resident of the Realm, but I don't think he'll make me jump off a bridge or be his personal slave or anything."

"They can do that?"

"If you owe them? It's a possibility." I let that sink in for a moment, and I knew she was probably trying to figure out why I'd risk so much for her daughter. "Okay, no more talking. They probably already know we're here, but there's no need to advertise the fact." She nodded once and morphed into cop-mode, her steps becoming lighter as her free hand moved to the grip of her gun.

"Will this thing work here?" It was a fair question, and I had to think about it for a moment.

"Uh, probably?" She gave me a "look" and I shrugged. "Hey, I've only been her once and I didn't stick around to play 20 questions. Let's hope we don't have to find out."

The trees thinned until we were standing at the edge of a clearing. There was a huge bonfire in the center, though I couldn't feel any heat rolling off of it when there clearly should have been. I scanned the area but I couldn't see any nasty monsters that wanted to rip my face off. I did, however, see a small pole just a few feet from the cold blaze. Tied to the pole was a very scared – but very much alive – Anna. I felt Murphy tense next to me, and I had to physically restrain her from rushing forward into what was so obviously a trap.

"Wait, wait, wait," I whispered, wrapping my free arm around her waist. I could feel her heart pounding, and she struggled against me. Murphy was no slouch in the strength department despite her size. Add in the adrenaline rush moms were reported to get when their kids were in trouble and I had to work to keep her from running headlong into the trap.

Movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention, and from the way Murphy stilled against me I guessed she'd seen it too. I slipped my arm from around her and gripped the hockey stick in both hands, turning slowly to face whatever was trying to sneak up on us. I had about half a second to react as it leapt from the shadows, and I jabbed the end of the hockey stick at it and channeled my will forward.

A blast of energy lanced from the stick and stuck the creature in the chest. It let out a howl of rage as it was flung back into the forest, but I didn't wait to see where it landed. It hadn't gotten within ten feet of me, but I could feel the waves of cold energy emanating from it. I shook off the feeling of frostbite and dragged Murphy into the clearing. As soon as we crossed into the light, a dozen more of the monsters crept forward out of the shadows.

They had four massive limbs, the rear two jointed and muscular - perfect for leaping great distances. The front limbs were just as dangerous, though, with paws larger than my head and wickedly sharp claws. Their fur was so black it was almost blue, and their eyes shone silver against the bonfire. Their heads were vaguely feline, though their ears were a little longer and laid flat against the side of their heads. Their snouts were longer like a canine's, and the teeth inside were fanged and sharp. The small portion of my brain that controlled my flight or fight response was screaming at me to run. These things were predators and I was their prey.

"We have been waiting for you, wizard." Somehow the thing had managed to talk without ceasing the snarling that filled the clearing, and I realized it was in my head. The damn things were telepathic along with being big, mean, eviscerating machines. Fantastic.

"Give me the child and let us go. I have no quarrel with you." Well, that wasn't entirely true. But I didn't like my chances while I still had Anna to think about.

"After all the trouble we went to acquiring her?" another "spoke." "I think we'll play with her a bit more." It lunged toward the girl and Anna whimpered reflexively. I turned in one motion and let out a lash of energy that caught the offender across the neck. It howled in pain and jumped back as I whirled back to the de facto leader.

"Last warning, kitty."

"Are you offering yourself in place of the child, Wizard?" it asked. The gathered pack – family? herd? gaggle? I wasn't entirely sure what to call a collection of Fae – waited eagerly as I took a deep breath. Before I could answer, though, Murphy did something stupid.

"I'll take her place. Take me."

"Murphy, no!" I tried to hold her back, but she managed to evade my desperate grab and stepped between me and the creatures. A tittering went through the clearing, and I realized they were laughing.

"Even if you were not protected by a fool's blessing, we would not have you. The only thing more delicious than a mortal child is a wizard. That is our offer."

"I have one condition," I said firmly. "You swear safe passage for the child and her mother back to their world."

"Done," the leader nodded its massive head. Murphy whirled on me with a terrified expression, and I took a step closer.

"Don't worry," I whispered, "I have a plan." She let out a bark of laughter that was more scared than amused.

"That isn't very reassuring," she told me.

"Get ready to run," I told her, watching as one of the creatures moved closer to Anna. The girl shied away from it, but all it did was growl menacingly as it extended one razor claw to sever the bonds holding her to the pole. She collapsed into the snow for a moment, but then she jumped to her feet and raced over to us. Murphy wrapped the girl in her arms, holding Anna tightly against her body. Both of them were weeping, but I could see Murphy watching me out of the corner of her eye. Anna was still in her pajamas, and I managed to shrug out of my long coat without taking my eyes or the hockey stick off of the enemy. I let Murphy wrap her daughter in the coat, hugging it around the girl as Anna trembled against her.

I stilled for a moment, gathering every ounce of power in my body, before I nodded once. She grabbed Anna's hand and began running back the direction we'd come. I turned and let out a lance of fire, destroying the bonfire and causing every one of the creatures to howl in outrage.

"You have broken your accord!" the leader bellowed, and I looked back over my shoulder as I raced after Murphy and Anna.

"Yeah, well next time get it in writing!" It was a risky move, but I hadn't actually agreed to anything. I'd just laid out my conditions, and they assumed my agreement. In the eyes of the Realm, I owed them nothing. I caught up to Murphy quickly, and I shortened my steps to keep pace with them as we rushed back to the Way. I really hoped it was still open, but I just didn't know. I could attempt to open one here, but there was no guarantee we'd end up anywhere near Chicago.

I tripped over an exposed tree root, and it probably saved my life. I tumbled into the snow as one of the creatures sailed over my head with a frustrated growl. I saw Murphy hesitate as she looked back, but I waved at her.

"Go!" I managed to get back to my feet just as the creature lunged again, and I dove to the side as it passed. I felt a searing pain shoot through my left arm, and even in the dark I could see the dark red blood that welled up from the wound on my shoulder. My fingers tingled and my arm went numb, and I knew it had nothing to do with the cold. The creature grinned savagely and began slinking toward me, and I knew I wouldn't be so lucky this time.

A gun barked from somewhere behind me, and a spray of blue-black blood erupt from the creature's neck. It let out a strangled, gurgling wail of pain and fell just ten feet from me. Its eyes cut over to the side, where Murphy was standing in a perfect shooting stance. Anna was cowering behind her, but her eyes were clear; she understood the danger and knew she had to be level-headed. My respect for the Murphy girls ratcheted up a few notches, and when Murphy glanced at me with a half-smile I couldn't help return it.

"Guess the gun works," she said quickly. "Come on, Harry!"

I gripped the hockey stick in my good hand and pushed it out in front of me. A bubble of white energy gathered around me, and I took a few steps back as more creatures slinked from the dark shadows. The Way wasn't far now, I was sure of it, but getting Anna and Murphy there without being pursued was going to be impossible; there were just too many of them. The shield I'd thrown up would protect us for a while, and I winced involuntarily as one of the smaller monsters leaped and bounced off of it. The shield crackled but held, and I turned my head slightly to talk to Murphy while keeping our enemies in sight.

"I can hold them off," I lied. "You get Anna out of here. I'm right behind you."

"I never understood why anyone buys that line in movies," she snapped. "It's bull and we both know it."

"Murphy...Connie, _please_." I saw Anna clutch her mother's arm tighter, and I took a breath. "You have to get your daughter out of here. There's no sense in all of us dying." I had no plans to die anytime soon, but the words were meant to force Murphy to choose between me and her daughter. I knew which one she'd choose, and so did she.

"Nobody's dying, Dresden." She was using her boss-voice, the one that made rookie's scramble to do whatever she'd just ordered them to, the one that even made Kirmani cringe a little. But I could hear the uncertainty in her voice, and I tried to take it as a compliment. She didn't like it any more than I did, but we both knew that Anna came first.

"I think they beg to differ," I nodded my head toward the creatures, who seemed to be waiting us out. Every few seconds, one of them would creep closer to the shield, but it must have been putting off enough energy to discourage any further advancement. They snarled at us, and I started to feel the strain of holding the shield for so long.

"Children," a sibilant voice quieted the rest, and the leader of the pack stepped forward. "He is just one wizard. He cannot hold us all."

"Crap," I said aloud, mindful of the young ears next to me. "No more arguing. Time to go."

"Dammit, Harry!" I heard the tears in her voice, but I didn't dare take my eyes off of the deadly creatures in front of me. "I can't..."

"Yes you can!" I yelled. "It's not far. Just a few more steps and you're safe." My shoulder had started throbbing, and the blood had soaked my sleeve completely. It was still dark so I was pretty sure Anna hadn't seen it, but Murphy knew.

"Wizard!" the leader – I'd decided to call him Cujo – stared at me across the clearing. "Come with us willingly and we will let your friends go."

I bared my teeth at him in what I hoped was a menacing expression, but it probably held more pain than anger. "Something tells me you don't just want my advice on how to wizard-proof your cave. I'll pass, thanks."

"Fool," Cujo crouched on his hindquarters. "Once we finish tearing the flesh from your bones, we will take our time with your friend and her child. Their screams will be music to us for many nights." He let out a sharp noise that must have meant something to his children, and they all lunged forward simultaneously. The shield simply couldn't hold them all off, and it crackled brilliantly before shattering in a blast of light.

Anna screamed, and I weighed my options. If these things got a hold of us, I would be dead. But that wasn't what really mattered. If that happened, then I was absolutely certain Cujo would keep his promise – Murphy and her daughter would become playthings for these creatures.

White hot fury erupted within me, and I dropped the hockey stick to the ground as I held my hands out in front me, fingers spread wide and palms facing away. I could faintly hear a woman's voice – probably Murphy – calling my name, but I ignored it. All that mattered now was that Murphy and Anna got away safely. I heard the sound of my own blood rushing in my ears, and every ounce of energy I still possessed gathered at my fingertips. I let out a savage snarl of my own and released the energy, sending it out in a horizontal arc across the clearing. Bright red light blinded me before my knees wobbled and gave out and my vision went black.

When I came to I was lying on my back, and cold fingers were pressing into my neck to check for a pulse. My eyes fluttered open, and the first thing I saw was Murphy's tear-streaked face staring down at me. Her fingers moved from my neck to my shoulder, pressing something heavy – her jacket, I realized – into my wound to stop the blood flow. Her other hand ran over my head in a gesture that was half-affection, half-desperation.

"Thank God," she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she slapped my good arm not so lightly. "Don't ever do that again!"

I groaned and sat up with her help, but my head was spinning so much I didn't dare try to stand. I slumped over my own knees, acutely aware that Murphy's hand was still gripping my arm. I took several deep breaths as my mind tried to catch up to what the hell had happened, and when the haze finally cleared my head snapped up.

"Anna?"

"I'm here," a soft voice echoed from my left, and I looked over at the girl huddled in my coat against the trunk of a tree.

"How long was I out?" I looked back at Murphy.

"Ten minutes? I'm not sure. Whatever you did..." she hesitated, then swallowed thickly. "It really took it out of you." Her eyes cut over my shoulder, and I couldn't help but follow her gaze. My throat went dry as I surveyed what had once been a rather peaceful clearing.

The entire area for almost an acre had been completely razed. Trees had been scorched into blackened stumps, and there were dark patches on the ground that formed a rough semi-circle – the only remnants of the half-dozen or so Realm-dwellers that hadn't been able to get away in time. I had just meant to scare them, to send them running long enough to get us all to safety. The acrid smell of ashes and incinerated flesh wafted over me, and I gagged. I managed to turn enough to keep from being sick all over Murphy, but she didn't move away from me.

"Shh," her hand moved to the back of my neck, and her cool fingers felt heavenly on my over-heated skin. "It's alright, Harry. You did what you had to do. You had no other choice." Her words were meant to comfort me, but I could hear her voice shaking. She was afraid. That thought alone was enough of a catalyst for my over-worked muscles. I stood on shaky legs, but they held as I took a few steps away from her. Her blood-soaked jacket fell from my shoulder, but it had mostly clotted anyway. What did seep out wasn't much, but I didn't really care. I sucked in several steadying breaths, avoiding the clearing behind me at all costs.

Murphy didn't say anything or try to follow me, and when I finally turned to look at her she was sitting next to Anna. She was shivering, and I realized she couldn't put her own jacket back on. I collected my hockey stick and avoided her gaze as I rolled my shoulder painfully. The wound wasn't terribly deep, but it had bled a lot. I was probably running on pure adrenaline at this point.

"Let's go," I said flatly. Murphy stood up and helped Anna to her feet. I set out ahead of them, partly to make sure it was safe but mostly to avoid seeing the fear in their eyes. I hadn't unleashed like that in a long time – if ever – and I didn't like the feelings that came with it. Something within me sang to do it again, to hunt down the rest of the pack and finish the job. I quickly shoved that part away and took a shaky breath. Most wizards faced that part of themselves sooner or later; the power tested us all. Ever since my uncle had revealed his true nature I'd always been afraid that deep down inside, I was just like him. The Council had written me off already; I was a Morningway in their eyes. It was only a matter of time before I crossed the line and they'd have their excuse to execute me. Thinking about the last few moments, I wasn't entirely sure they were wrong anymore.

"Harry?" Murphy had somehow caught up to me without me noticing, but I didn't answer. The Way was close, and then we'd be back home and we could put all of this behind us. "Dammit Harry," her hand gripped my arm and I tensed as I let out a soft growl of frustration. She let go immediately, her steps faltering as I glanced at her. I berated myself for scaring her further, and forced myself to put my own self-recriminations aside for now.

"We're almost there," I told her in lieu of an apology. "Does Anna know about the Way?"

"No, but she's tough."

"Like her mom," I said, allowing a small smile to pass my lips. Murphy returned it, and I could see the fear in her eyes recede just a little. "Here we go." I saw the shimmer that indicated the portal between this place and our world, and I stopped a few feet shy of it. "Alright, you two first." I gestured with my good arm, and Murphy gave me a strange look before she grabbed Anna's hand. I patted the girl on the shoulder reassuringly as she passed me, and Anna looked up at me with a smile before stepping through the Way and disappearing. I gave them a few seconds, then followed. The sensation was worse this time, and I almost cried out from the pain that seared through my shoulder and into my brain. I couldn't breathe for a few seconds as small, strong hands held me up.

"Harry? You alright?" Murphy's voice sounded muffled, like she had a mouthful of cotton balls, but eventually the pain subsided and everything came back into focus. I looked down at her for a few seconds, then promptly passed out.

* * *

Poor Harry. I can't resist torturing him a little. Only one chapter left:

_"I think I understand now why you were always so evasive. It's easier to avoid saying anything at all than to come up with a lie."_

_"Yes it is," I affirmed. "I don't like lying, Murphy, and I know you don't either. But it really is safer if they don't know."_

_"I know," she sighed. "What about Anna? I don't think I can lie to her, and I'm not sure she'd believe me anyway. What do we tell her?"_


	3. Chapter 3

Steady beeping woke me, and I fought through a haze to open my eyes. White walls greeted me, and I panicked for a moment. The machinery next to me wailed before sparking and dying, and I forced myself to calm down before I caused any more damage.

"Easy, Harry," Murphy's voice was thick from sleep, but she was there at my side in an instant as I took in my surroundings.

"Hospital," I grimaced. "I need to get out of here." Her hand pressed down on my good shoulder before I could try and sit up.

"I made sure you got a room at the end of the hall, far away from any critical patients or delicate equipment. I'm not sure that monitor's gonna make it, though." I looked over my shoulder and groaned as Murphy laughed. The screen was blank, and there was a thin tendril of smoke wafting up and blackened pieces where it had sparked.

The door burst open and two nurses rushed in with a crash cart. I flopped back onto the bed as Murphy intercepted them and explained that the monitor had mysteriously sparked and shut down. They gave me odd looks as they replaced the machine and checked my IV before leaving us alone again. Murphy had moved to stand by the window, and I waited a few quiet moments before speaking.

"What time is it?"

"About three o'clock in the afternoon," she said as she walked back over to my bedside. "When we came back, it was almost noon."

I heard the question in her voice and nodded. "Time runs different over there," I said. "We're lucky it was only a few hours. I've heard of people losing whole days after being gone a few minutes." I relaxed back into pillows that were infinitely comfier than the ones I had at home. "Where's Anna?"

Murphy stepped aside and looked back to where Anna was huddled beneath my coat, sleeping soundly on the small couch against the far wall. Her breathing was even and shallow, a good indication that she was out cold. Murphy turned back to me and gave me an odd look as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I...I'm not really sure how to thank you, Harry." Tears filled her eyes but they didn't fall. Her fingers slipped into mine, and I squeezed them instead of responding. I didn't really feel like a hero, and her adulation only drove home just how much she didn't know about me.

"What happened after we got back?" I didn't remember much after the battle, to be honest, but we must have found the Way back and gone through. I could vaguely recall a searing pain, but I tried to block that out as quickly as possible.

"You came through right after us, then you just collapsed. I didn't know what else to do, so I called Kirmani. I told him someone had contacted me about Anna, and that we'd met him at the lake." She hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath as she continued her story in a flat tone. "He set his dog on you, but you managed to fend it off while I drew my weapon. I shot him once but he and his dog fled. Neither of us got a good look at him." I nodded at her not-so-subtle information; if questioned I'd know what to tell the police. It wasn't a perfect story, but they'd buy that over "we used magic to go to a realm of supernatural creatures and save Anna from being devoured by telepathic cats." She squeezed my hand again and looked me in the eye. "I think I understand now why you were always so evasive. It's easier to avoid saying anything at all than to come up with a lie."

"Yes it is," I affirmed. "I don't like lying, Murphy, and I know you don't either. But it really is safer if they don't know."

"I know," she sighed. "What about Anna? I don't think I can lie to her, and I'm not sure she'd believe me anyway. What do we tell her?"

I balked a moment at the "we" but I managed to hide it. I looked over at the sleeping girl and thought about the question. What did one tell a ten year old who had just been kidnapped by supernatural creatures? I could trust Murphy to keep quiet, but preteen girls were notoriously talkative.

"That's up to you," I told Murphy finally. "If you want, we can all sit down and I can tell her the truth. Though that largely depends on whether you think she can keep it a secret or not. If not, then I have no idea. We could tell her she'd been given a hallucinogen, that she'd imagined all the scary stuff."

"She won't buy that," Murphy shook her head.

"The truth then?"

"I think it's best. She's a smart kid. If we tell her why it needs to be kept secret, she won't tell anyone."

I trusted Murphy's judgment more than my own at this point, so I just nodded and closed my eyes. "I'm really tired," I whispered. "Did they drug me?"

"No," she said quietly. "I made sure they didn't give you anything. I wasn't sure if you'd react strangely or not."

I tried not to take offense to the way she treated me differently now that she knew, but I couldn't really help it. I was tired and drained – both emotionally and physically – and so I snapped at her.

"I'm still human, you know."

"I didn't say you weren't," she shot back in typical Murphy fashion. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

I felt like an ass but I was too exhausted to apologize. Instead I gripped her fingers tighter for a moment then released them. "You should take Anna home and get some rest."

"The doctor said when you finished your IV you could leave." She glanced at the bag of fluids hanging on a hook over my head. "Should be soon."

"I'll call a cab," I insisted. "You need some sleep and I'm sure you want to get Anna home."

"I'm not leaving you alone, Harry." She stood up and walked over to Anna. The girl stirred as her mother shook her shoulder, and in a moment both Murphy girls were standing by the door. "We'll be waiting in the lobby when you're ready to go. And don't even think about trying to sneak out of here." She pointed a finger at me, and I couldn't help but grin and lift my good arm for a sloppy two-fingered salute.

"Roger that, Lieutenant." She rolled her eyes as she left the room behind Anna, and a few minutes later a nurse came in. I tried to think happy thoughts as she disconnected wires and pulled the ludicrously large needle out of my arm. She handed me a prescription the doctor had written for painkillers, and she showed me how to change my dressing before pointing me toward my clothes and leaving me alone.

Checking myself out took almost half an hour as I finished all the paperwork Murphy couldn't when I'd arrived. I filled in all the necessary information, grimacing as I thought about the bill I was going to receive. My adverse effect on technology wasn't the only reason I tended to avoid hospitals. Once everything was squared away, Murphy grabbed Anna's hand and led the way toward the stairs. We descended the four flights wordlessly, and I was mildly surprised to see Kirmani waiting for us in the pickup lane. He scowled at me as I climbed into the front seat, but he didn't say anything to me. He turned around as far as his seatbelt would allow him and glanced at Murphy sitting behind him.

"We taking Dresden back to his place?"

"Nope," Murphy buckled her seatbelt and fought a yawn. "Doctor's orders. He can't be alone for 24 hours." Kirmani gave me a strange look but said nothing as he shifted the car into drive and pulled out onto the road. I turned around to protest, but Murphy glared at me and I quickly closed my mouth. She nodded satisfactorily and leaned her head against the window as Kirmani merged onto the highway.

Anna and Murphy were both asleep by the time we pulled up to their house. Someone had driven Murphy's car back from the lake, and Kirmani pulled into the driveway next to it as Murphy stirred. She tried to wake Anna, but the girl just mumbled groggily and turned away. Kirmani killed the engine and got out, jogging around the car and opening the back door wide enough to reach in and scoop the girl into his arms.

"Thanks, Sid," Murphy offered him a friendly smile and I felt a jolt from somewhere deep down. I shoved it back where it came from, ignoring the implications of said jolt until I was more coherent and in better control of my faculties. I swayed a little on the front porch, but I don't think anyone saw. Murphy stepped through the front door first, offering a quiet "come in" as the rest of us filed in behind her. I shot her a knowing grin, but its effect was somewhat lost underneath the exhaustion that suddenly overwhelmed me. Kirmani took Anna to her room as Murphy helped me pry my coat off. I sank down onto the couch, though I managed to toe my shoes off before I slumped over onto my uninjured side. My shoulder began to throb in protest, and Murphy hung up both of our coats before sitting on the edge of the coffee table.

"I'll send Kirmani for your meds," she told me through a fog, and suddenly I wanted to stay awake just a little longer to hear _that_ conversation.

"Should go home," I mumbled. She rolled her eyes and unfolded the blanket from the back of the couch.

"You can't even stand up on your own, Harry," she chided softly as she draped it over me. I felt my exhaustion pulling me under, but the moment I closed my eyes a bright red flash and inhuman screams I'd never actually heard startled me awake. Tomorrow I was going to have to deal with the fallout of whatever the hell I'd done today, and clue a ten year old into the fact that there really were monsters out there in the darkness. My thoughts started darting around at a million miles an hour, and my eyes couldn't focus on anything.

"Shh," Murphy laid her hand on my forehead and my mind quieted instantly. "Get some rest, Harry." As my eyes slammed shut again I thought I felt her fingers slip through my hair, and I wrote it off as a wearied delusion until I felt her lips press into my forehead. Warmth flooded me that had nothing to do with the quilt, and my entire body relaxed as her hand ghosted over my head again. "Thank you," she whispered, and I managed a small, beleaguered smile before I slipped under and stayed there.


End file.
